Bow-hunting and archery target shooting are human occupations with a long history. Accordingly the technical form of bows and other archery equipment has gone through countless design and functional improvements over time from ancient age to the present day. There are many differing designs for bows. For example, single-piece long bows, typically as tall or taller than the shooter were used by Native Americans for hunting.
Later in history, laminated bows and cross-bows (a bow mounted on a triggered gun stock) were introduced, and opposing-curve bows were developed providing more power than their predecessors. Bow strength was greatly increased via lamination techniques and the opposing curve design, termed in the art a recurve design. This landmark improvement allowed the length of the bow to decrease while retaining maximum power or pull.
More recently, an innovation known as the compound bow revolutionized the institution of archery, particularly bow hunting. The compound bow is typically a tri-sectioned (two arms and a center section) bow combined with a pulley and cabling system. Designed in important instances for hunting, the compound bow is more powerful than a traditional recurve bow but demands less stamina and strength from the user. Once the bowstring of a compound bow is drawn back to a prescribed distance, bow tension is significantly reduced allowing the shooter to relax before letting the arrow fly to target. This is accomplished via action of the pulley/cable system which acts to compound the power of the bow while at the same time reducing the pull strength required to let loose an arrow. The compound bow is arguably the most popular type of bow in use today.
One problem with a compound bow, however, is that it must be tuned or balanced before accurate shooting can be performed. That is, the tension on the upper arm of the bow must equal the tension on the lower arm of the bow in order for an arrow to fly accurately. To insure that proper balancing of tension is accomplished, one must shoot an arrow to see if it is on target. Tension adjusting devices are employed to equalize tension after the bow is strung. Adjustment and sighting-in is typically necessary each time a bow is unstrung and then strung again. These adjustments can be time-consuming especially for a novice.
Another problem stems from the fact that it is desired to be able to transport a bow and related accessories conveniently and compactly when the bow is not in use. Often, the size of a compound bow inconveniences the user in this regard. The bow is generally of an awkward shape, taking up significant space in transport. Some bow manufacturers have attempted to alleviate this problem by developing a hinged bow that may be folded over when not in use. However, the bow must first be unstrung, or the tension on the bow somehow released before the bow may be folded, because the tensioned bow imposes significant forces on the hinge in the bow stock, and once set up again, the bow must also be re-tensioned (compound bow) and re-sighted before it will shoot with accuracy.
What is clearly needed is a de-tensioning and breakdown system that will allow a compound bow to be broken-down to smaller components or sections and stowed without requiring re-tensioning, re-tuning, and re-aiming of the bow to restore the bow to its previous operational state.